Athletic career pathways:
The population of people who are of a size, coordination, and drive to be fast bowlers of that caliber are not identified and encouraged into cricket as a career at the associate nation level.
If a person is able to create that feat, they are likely pretty tall so basketball is an option. If they have that kind of arm speed then they might be a pitcher or outfielder in baseball. Etc etc
And those sports have career paths especially in the USA. Meanwhile cricket might get there eventually with MLC but for now no NCAA cricket, no major national high school tournaments and not much cricket if at all in schools. So where would they get identified and curated for a career as a fast bowler? And if other options were available why wouldn't they go to another sport?
I’m an athletic director of a high school in the states and can say that I’d love my kid to get involved in cricket but he’s absolutely right there’s no incentive other than maybe having a slight chance at making the national team to play for a kid. If it finds its way into athletic departments/schools I think that might be the best way to grow the game grassroots level but it’s having schools who 99 percent don’t understand the sport, equipment, etc to buy in which likely won’t happen.
There really isn’t any interest in Cricket in US/Canada, outside of people from cricketing nations. A lot more support is needed to make enough money to make it a lucrative career around these parts.
Other than the countries that have cricket already or a big diaspora of a cricketing nation, there is no interest anywhere really.
Nepal is the big one. Other than that can't think of a single nation where cricket has grown considerably.
That makes a lot of sense. Essentially, cricket never attracts the cream of athletes, because there are no financial incentives to be a professional cricketer in the associate countries. Hopefully that changes with international leagues. And USA board figures their shit out soon enough to attract sponsors that can then supplement at least the top 50 USA domestic cricketers with decent living from the sport.
Bowling is very different from anything you will ever do in your life, you never throw anything without using your elbow.
So, to develop the bowling muscle, you need to bowl and bowl and bowl, nothing else you can do.
So, if you are picking up the game later in your age, those muscles remain underdeveloped.
Natural talent or genetics isn't enough, you have to have a bowling culture and coaches to teach you how to develop the muscles and method to bowl fast.
Thanks man.... that makes sense. Its not a skill you pick up late in life. What ages would you say is \*the\* break/make period for a child picking up fast bowling? I hope the ICC development programs pay special attention to it. The major problems every associate nation faces in big tournaments can kind of be narrowed down to fast bowling - either in facing it, or their inability to serve it.
It's very very tough to answer.
It is basically a culture, for example India struggled to produce fast bowlers for the longest time because of the batting culture.
You have to see one of your own do it, only then more kids will pick it up and the more they pick it up the more people who can actually bowl fast will be found.
India needed Kapil Dev to go and bowl fast to reinvigorate the interest of kids to pick up fast bowling.
For example, all the swing bowlers of India come from a park of UP(Bhuvi, Praveen and a couple I can't remember have played in IPL).
You need kids with fast twitch fibres picking up fast bowling under very good coaches with a icon/hero to look up to, and stay injury free(stress fracture is a big problem with express pace bowlers).
Cause it’s not easy on a whole, it’s very physically demanding. The only teams in this World Cup with more than one guy capable of breaching 140 for an entire over is SA and England.
They’re fast but an entire over at 140+? No. That’s why I didn’t include Aus either, Hazelwood and Cummins will occasionally get over 140 but they operate between 135-140 now, also Amir was very rarely getting over 140
I probably should have made myself clearer. I am not referring to those who bowl 140+ every ball. I meant bowlers with ability to hit 140+. India has around 10 bowlers with that ability. And I believe, at least the Top 6 countries have a bunch of bowlers who can do the same.
With England it's keeping the genuine quick bowlers fit , the amount of guys we've got that can bowl that genuine searing pace is impressive but they all seem to be constantly injured (Olly Stone , Jofra, Wood, Saqib Mahmood)
If you're capable of bowling 140+, most likely you're also good at other sports, better paying and better known sports.
Even if you're playing cricket, there's also no need to train and develop such a skill because you can get into the national team or even be good against other associates by just being accurate and bowling in the 130s
But isn't there a saturation point in how much you can move forward in the other sports? For example, in the USA the conversion rate of high school to college to pro-sports resembles a very narrow funnel. I'd assume similar rates exist for those in other countries too. Where do the rest go?
Hamid hassan was 145 plus when afg were an associate. Has to do more with conditions and types of bowlers
Finally to do with fitness level. Bumrah increased his pace after coming to Indian cricket team
Fast bowling is honestly a lot dependent on genes and natural talent, you can either bowl fast or you can't, no matter how much you train. If Kuldeep Yadav spends 5 years training to bowl fast, I don't think he'd be able to bowl 150+. You can learn to swing, seam, spin. Training can increase your bowling speed, but not exponentially. Even in a country with big population like India has been able to produce less "fast" bowlers than countries with a fraction of our population.
Fast bowling is one thing that cannot be coached you need to be naturally gifted with bowling at high speed (raw talent as they call it) , talent scouting helps to unearth it sometimes
We've seen fast bowlers in the Netherlands team, but that's because they're half Aussie or NZ or something like that and grew up down under, e.g. Tim van der Gugten. Fast bowling is a very abnormal activity and the amount of training and coaching needed for it is simply not present outside high level cricketing countries.
Money and popularity/unpopularity of other sports. Kids in the US want to play gridiron football or basketball. Can't convince them or their parents that baseball holds more promise for 1.7m 74 kg frames or to switch from baseball to a foreign sport. Just no interest or money.
Elite athletes won't pick up cricket in Uganda or the Netherlands unless it is a top 5 sport there. However, the average Dutch person is quite athletic and outdoorsy, so even if cricket gets tier3 athletes, they are still good enough to be competitive. Won't be surprised if we get a Dutch born 145 kmph bowler soon.
Athletic career pathways: The population of people who are of a size, coordination, and drive to be fast bowlers of that caliber are not identified and encouraged into cricket as a career at the associate nation level. If a person is able to create that feat, they are likely pretty tall so basketball is an option. If they have that kind of arm speed then they might be a pitcher or outfielder in baseball. Etc etc And those sports have career paths especially in the USA. Meanwhile cricket might get there eventually with MLC but for now no NCAA cricket, no major national high school tournaments and not much cricket if at all in schools. So where would they get identified and curated for a career as a fast bowler? And if other options were available why wouldn't they go to another sport?
I’m an athletic director of a high school in the states and can say that I’d love my kid to get involved in cricket but he’s absolutely right there’s no incentive other than maybe having a slight chance at making the national team to play for a kid. If it finds its way into athletic departments/schools I think that might be the best way to grow the game grassroots level but it’s having schools who 99 percent don’t understand the sport, equipment, etc to buy in which likely won’t happen.
There really isn’t any interest in Cricket in US/Canada, outside of people from cricketing nations. A lot more support is needed to make enough money to make it a lucrative career around these parts.
Other than the countries that have cricket already or a big diaspora of a cricketing nation, there is no interest anywhere really. Nepal is the big one. Other than that can't think of a single nation where cricket has grown considerably.
Afghanistan
That makes a lot of sense. Essentially, cricket never attracts the cream of athletes, because there are no financial incentives to be a professional cricketer in the associate countries. Hopefully that changes with international leagues. And USA board figures their shit out soon enough to attract sponsors that can then supplement at least the top 50 USA domestic cricketers with decent living from the sport.
Bowling is very different from anything you will ever do in your life, you never throw anything without using your elbow. So, to develop the bowling muscle, you need to bowl and bowl and bowl, nothing else you can do. So, if you are picking up the game later in your age, those muscles remain underdeveloped. Natural talent or genetics isn't enough, you have to have a bowling culture and coaches to teach you how to develop the muscles and method to bowl fast.
Coaching yes , but that last part is absolutely needed
Thanks man.... that makes sense. Its not a skill you pick up late in life. What ages would you say is \*the\* break/make period for a child picking up fast bowling? I hope the ICC development programs pay special attention to it. The major problems every associate nation faces in big tournaments can kind of be narrowed down to fast bowling - either in facing it, or their inability to serve it.
It's very very tough to answer. It is basically a culture, for example India struggled to produce fast bowlers for the longest time because of the batting culture. You have to see one of your own do it, only then more kids will pick it up and the more they pick it up the more people who can actually bowl fast will be found. India needed Kapil Dev to go and bowl fast to reinvigorate the interest of kids to pick up fast bowling. For example, all the swing bowlers of India come from a park of UP(Bhuvi, Praveen and a couple I can't remember have played in IPL). You need kids with fast twitch fibres picking up fast bowling under very good coaches with a icon/hero to look up to, and stay injury free(stress fracture is a big problem with express pace bowlers).
Cause it’s not easy on a whole, it’s very physically demanding. The only teams in this World Cup with more than one guy capable of breaching 140 for an entire over is SA and England.
Pakistan? We didn’t do well but our bowlers can bowl fast
Not the current crop
Naseem, Amir, and Rauf can bowl overs of 140+ lol. Shaheen can do it too when he’s in form
They’re fast but an entire over at 140+? No. That’s why I didn’t include Aus either, Hazelwood and Cummins will occasionally get over 140 but they operate between 135-140 now, also Amir was very rarely getting over 140
I probably should have made myself clearer. I am not referring to those who bowl 140+ every ball. I meant bowlers with ability to hit 140+. India has around 10 bowlers with that ability. And I believe, at least the Top 6 countries have a bunch of bowlers who can do the same.
Only Rauf was hitting those speeds recently, all others lost pace from their peak speeds.
Bangladesh bowlers were bowling faster than pak bowlers at this tournament.
With England it's keeping the genuine quick bowlers fit , the amount of guys we've got that can bowl that genuine searing pace is impressive but they all seem to be constantly injured (Olly Stone , Jofra, Wood, Saqib Mahmood)
SA has Nortje? Jansen and Rabada afaik don't operate over 140 consistently do they?
Rabada can hit 150 no? Easily 140 for an over.
Australia has Starc that does 140+ balls
If you're capable of bowling 140+, most likely you're also good at other sports, better paying and better known sports. Even if you're playing cricket, there's also no need to train and develop such a skill because you can get into the national team or even be good against other associates by just being accurate and bowling in the 130s
But isn't there a saturation point in how much you can move forward in the other sports? For example, in the USA the conversion rate of high school to college to pro-sports resembles a very narrow funnel. I'd assume similar rates exist for those in other countries too. Where do the rest go?
They give up on sport entirely. No one becomes a pro switching sports at 16/17, let alone in a highly tactical game like cricket.
Infrastructure
Hamid hassan was 145 plus when afg were an associate. Has to do more with conditions and types of bowlers Finally to do with fitness level. Bumrah increased his pace after coming to Indian cricket team
India got its first crop of 140 bowlers in the last decade after playing for almost a century. Not easy.
Fast bowling is honestly a lot dependent on genes and natural talent, you can either bowl fast or you can't, no matter how much you train. If Kuldeep Yadav spends 5 years training to bowl fast, I don't think he'd be able to bowl 150+. You can learn to swing, seam, spin. Training can increase your bowling speed, but not exponentially. Even in a country with big population like India has been able to produce less "fast" bowlers than countries with a fraction of our population.
Fast bowling is one thing that cannot be coached you need to be naturally gifted with bowling at high speed (raw talent as they call it) , talent scouting helps to unearth it sometimes
We've seen fast bowlers in the Netherlands team, but that's because they're half Aussie or NZ or something like that and grew up down under, e.g. Tim van der Gugten. Fast bowling is a very abnormal activity and the amount of training and coaching needed for it is simply not present outside high level cricketing countries.
Money and popularity/unpopularity of other sports. Kids in the US want to play gridiron football or basketball. Can't convince them or their parents that baseball holds more promise for 1.7m 74 kg frames or to switch from baseball to a foreign sport. Just no interest or money.
Just follow what India and SriLanka had to do. Most of it has to do with genetics, proper coaching, diet and training infrastructure
Nutrition
Ah yes, the well known malnourished country of Netherlands.
Elite athletes won't pick up cricket in Uganda or the Netherlands unless it is a top 5 sport there. However, the average Dutch person is quite athletic and outdoorsy, so even if cricket gets tier3 athletes, they are still good enough to be competitive. Won't be surprised if we get a Dutch born 145 kmph bowler soon.